Fragile Strength
by PuraJazzBot
Summary: The Host Club pitches in to help when Kaoru falls sick and Hikaru is left alone to take care of him. In doing so they discover that the best medicine is simple love and care, something that money cant buy... Rated for possible slash in future chapters..
1. Acts

It was a cool Thursday evening when the doors of the Third Music Room finally closed to its customers three hours after operations had commenced. The seven Host Club members were finally able to sit back and relax for a while, as a light dinner was laid out for them in an adjoining room. It had been a long day for all, so they were quite glad to see the back of the last group of girls as they left the room in a giggling bunch.

Haruhi Fujioka – the only female member of the group, though dressed as one of the boys - rolled her eyes as she shut the door behind them and went to see how dinner preparations were going.

In one corner of the room, Kyoya Otori finally leaned back in his chair with a small, tired sigh as he browsed through the schedule for the next day on his laptop computer. He was joined soon after by club president Tamaki Suou, who pulled up a chair close behind him and peered at the screen over the dark-haired boy's shoulder. For once he was too tired to bother himself with chasing after Haruhi's attention.

Kyoya smiled and shifted slightly to give the blond a better view. Tamaki smiled a tired smile back at him and rested his chin lightly on his best friend's shoulder.

On the other side of the room, Mitsukuni Haninozuka – affectionately known as Hani – bent to pick up some flowers off the floor where they had been carelessly dropped by some of the ladies. He smiled at a pretty pink rose, then turned and held it up to the taller boy who had followed behind him.

Takashi Morinozuka – called Mori by most – broke into a rare smile of his own as he took the flower, then crouched down for Hani to climb onto his back. Once the smaller boy was clinging securely to him, he stood and began making his way to the mini dining room.

Hikaru Hitachin, the older of a pair of twins, watched them go with a wry smile of his own. He could never figure those two out sometimes, he mused to himself as he sat on a couch in the middle of the room, sipping on a cool soft drink. Then he glanced over at Kyoya and Tamaki. The two second years were deeply engrossed in a friendly conversation – something that was rarely seen within the Host Club walls.

Kaoru Hitachin, the younger twin, was however oblivious to all this. He sat on the other end of the couch from his brother, hugging his knees to his chest as he rested his head against the back-rest of the couch, eyes closed. Of all the members, he was the only one not smiling.

He wanted to, oh how he wanted to, but he was just not feeling up to it. Since waking up that morning with an odd feeling at the back of his throat, he'd been feeling increasingly out of it as the hours ticked by. The headache had followed, along with a slight stinging sensation in his eyes, and a general loss of appetite. He knew he should have gone to see the school doctor, but one thing led to another and he hadn't been able to catch a break to do so.

Now, as he sat in the room, he suddenly felt cold and weary, and he pulled his uniform jacket tighter around him, trying to ignore the soreness that had spread to the rest of his body.

On the plus side though, it had been relatively easy for him to play the weaker sibling role as he leaned in his brother's arms to take some of the weight off his own body. He'd even managed to incorporate his feeling unwell in to their 'brotherly love' act. Unfortunately, since none of his symptoms were physically apparent, everyone else had thought it to be just that, too – an act.

"Dinner's ready, everyone!" Hani called from the door to the smaller room. "Let's eat, then we can all go home!"

This statement was met with loud approval by all except Kaoru, who was too weary to even raise his head. It was finally Hikaru who gave his brother's shoulder a shove.

"C'mon, lazy-bones, I'm starving," the older twin said, and bounded into the dining room.

Groaning softly as his aching body protested any kind of movement, Kaoru rose, stumbled, then followed his brother at a much slower pace. His actions did not go unnoticed by Kyoya, who merely pushed his glasses up his nose, made a note on his laptop, then brought up the rear.

Once they were all seated at the table – Mori and Tamaki at either end; Kyoya, Haruhi and Hani on one side, the twins on the other – for a while there was no sound in the room except for the clacking of cutlery on china, and the clinking of bottles on glasses, as the teenagers tucked hungrily into their food.

Only Kaoru had the barest scraps of food on his plate, and even this he picked at slowly, trying to negotiate with his stomach to keep something down. Hani glanced at him, then at Mori who simply shook his head. Finally Kaoru put down his fork and leaned his forehead on his brother's shoulder.

"I don't feel so good, Hikaru," he murmured, then mentally kicked himself. He'd said the same thing in their act that afternoon, but surely Hikaru could tell – couldn't he?

Hikaru looked at him in no little surprise, and was about to reply when Haruhi beat him to it.

"Kaoru, we're not hosting anymore," she said with a frown. "Stop it, its disgusting."

Kaoru blinked. "But I - ."

"Bro, stop it," Hikaru cut him off, feeling just the little bit uncomfortable as the others stared at him. "She's right, this is not the time for acting."

Somewhat stung, Kaoru touched his hand to his brother's, hoping Hikaru could feel how cold it was, but Hikaru simply brushed him off, rather embarrassed.

"I'm not - ."

"Kaoru," again Hikaru interrupted him. "Its disgusting, stop it. Finish your dinner."

Hurt, and glaring slightly, Kaoru forced himself to sit up straight again, but didn't touch his plate. Instead, he rose to his feet as steadily as they would allow him.

"Excuse me," he said as politely as he could, then left the table. "I'm going home."

Hikaru looked up. "I thought we were gonna walk home together?" he asked, but Kaoru had already left the room.

"Takashi," Hani said, turning to his larger cousin.

Mori nodded once, placed his napkin before his empty plate, and gracefully stood up to make his way out.

"I should go after him," Hikaru said, and made as if to get up too.

"Finish your dinner," Kyoya said coolly, but in a voice that froze Hikaru to his seat, and made Haruhi sink a little lower in hers.

Knowing better than to cross the rightly-named Demon King, the older twin stayed where he was. At this point, Tamaki leaned forward to look at him.

"Hikaru," he said. "I'll walk you home."

Hikaru blinked in surprise. "That's… not really necessary, Highness," he replied.

"Nonsense!" Tamaki said, his blue eyes warm. "It's a lovely evening outside. It would be a shame to let it go to waste don't you think?"

Haruhi nodded her agreement, but didn't say anything. She felt a little bad for having had a part to play in the Twins' fight and figured it was best to stay out of it till things had calmed down again.

"But Kaoru…" Hikaru began.

"Will be fine," Kyoya cut in, clapping his phone shut.

Hikaru frowned – when had he taken his phone out in the first place? – but agreed to walk with Tamaki.

Later, as they were about to leave, Hani reached up and placed a hand on Hikaru's elbow, stopping the boy in his tracks.

"Senior Hani?" he asked, seeing the serious look on his face. "What is it?"

Hani sighed. "The bonds between family are the strongest Hika-chan, but they are also the most fragile. Remember that okay?" He released Hikaru's arm with a pat.

"Okay," Hikaru replied, not sure of what else to say.

"Take care of Kao-chan."

Hikaru nodded. "I will."

b A/N /b - Heh, well i dont really know what to say because i certainly never planned on this... see, my main fanfic forte is in the Transformers fandom which i have been writing for the past three years or so, thus i was really nervous about starting on Ouran as i havent written human-centric fic within that time (Transformers being primarily mecha-centric) and am hence a little rusty..

Yet.. here this is, and i hope it comes off alright... stay tuned for the next chapter... Twins rule!


	2. Observations

Meanwhile, as the others continued with their dinner, Kaoru walked slowly down the hallway, bracing his unsteady frame by placing his hand on the wall now and then. By the time he reached the staircase that would take him down two levels to the ground floor and then to the exit, his energy was almost spent and his head was spinning. So rather than risk losing his balance and falling down a few flights of stairs, Kaoru sat down on the top step, drew his legs up and rested his head on his knees, hoping the dizziness would pass soon so he could get home.

A few feet away, Mori watched as Kaoru reached the stairs, and for a few anxious seconds, the tall third-year feared that the smaller first-year would actually attempt them. He tensed, ready to spring forward at even the slightest hint of the younger twin losing his balance, but thankfully, all Kaoru did was simply sit down and curl up on the top step.

Now, eventhough Mori was indifferent to the various and sundry antics the twins got up to on a daily basis, the sight of the usually cheerful boy sitting alone in the shadows was enough to fill his heart with a sense of compassion. He stepped forward, shoes barely making a sound on the floor.

"Kaoru," he said softly.

The boy started slightly, then raised his head and turned to look back over his shoulder.

"S-Senior Mori."

"Are you alright?"

Kaoru returned his head to his knees. "Just a little dizziness. It'll pass."

Mori crossed the distance in a couple of long strides, crouched down on the steps in front of him and gently raised his head, placing one palm against his cheek and forehead.

"You're not well," the senior murmured. "You should have said something." Then he caught himself and shook his head. "I am sorry. You did say something, they didn't believe you."

Kaoru blinked, a little unused to hearing the usually quiet boy speak so many words at one go. "Its alright."

"How are you going home?"

"I was supposed to walk home with Hikaru." Kaoru cast his eyes to the ground.

Then he yelped in surprise as Mori gently lifted him to his feet and carefully put an arm around him, bracing him against his side.

"I'll take you home," he said.

"Mori," Kaoru said, forgetting to address him as senior. "Thank you."

Mori's lips twitched into what Kaoru suspected was a bit of a smile. Then, slowly and carefully, senior and junior made their way down the stairs and out to the black luxury car that was waiting for them under the porch.

The drive home felt longer than it normally did to Kaoru as he sat leaning against the door, watching the world whizz past the window from under drooping eyelids. He shivered once and pulled his jacket tighter around him for the second time that evening. The next minute, Mori was draping his own jacket around the boy's shoulders. Kaoru looked up and canted a small smile in his direction.

"Hikaru will be alright," Mori said quietly. "Tamaki will probably offer to give him a ride home."

"What makes you think I'm worried about Hikaru?" Kaoru asked.

"You always worry about him," Mori replied. "Eventhough he's older, you have always been the one looking out for him."

"He just gets very emotional sometimes," Kaoru tried to defend his brother. "Sometimes he just lets his emotions confuse him and doesn't know what to do after that."

"Maybe its time you let him learn for himself."

"I'm afraid he'll get hurt." Kaoru sighed. "I don't want him hurt by anyone or anything… not even me. He's not used to being hurt."

"And you are?" the older boy looked at the younger one. "Are you used to the way he hurts you sometimes?"

Kaoru didn't answer, but Mori noticed him blink hard, as if fighting back tears.

"He… he doesn't mean to," Kaoru said at last.

"That doesn't give him the right to keep hurting you. He must learn to think of others and not only of himself."

The younger boy gave a slightly bitter laugh. "I've never heard you talk so much like this before."

"I don't speak unless there is an absolute need to. Sometimes you learn things more by listening than by speaking."

"That was a hint, wasn't it?" Kaoru asked.

Mori smiled that rare smile of his again. "Maybe."

The car turned a corner and pulled up the short drive to the Hitachin mansion, prompting the driver to announce their arrival at their destination. As soon as the vehicle had stopped under the porch, and the butler had opened the door, Mori got out and helped Kaoru into the waiting arms of his mother.

Lady Hitachin embraced her younger son gently.

"Thank you for bringing him home, Mori-san," she said over Kaoru's shoulder. "I'm very grateful."

Mori bowed. "It was my honor to be of service, Lady."

"Oh, your jacket," Kaoru said suddenly, remembering. He passed the sky-blue coat to the older boy, who draped it over his arm. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome," Mori replied, bowing once more to mother and son, before getting back into his car.

As the vehicle drove off, Lady Hitachin led her son into the mansion.

"Where is Hikaru?" she asked. "Why didn't he come with you?"

"He had some work to finish," Kaoru replied with a mental sigh. "He said it was better if I came home first." The boy leaned against his mother as they went up the stairs. "I think it would be best if I slept in one of the guest rooms. Don't want Hikaru to catch whatever I'm having."

"Funny you should say that," Lady Hitachin said. "Your friend Kyoya already called ahead to tell me you were arriving, and suggested the same thing. He also said a doctor from one of their hospitals is on his way here to take a look at you."

Kaoru smiled wryly to himself. It was so very like Kyoya to be that observant.

"There is one other thing, darling," Lady Hitachin continued. "I have to fly to Milan tomorrow morning for an event, and wont be back till Monday. Your father's already there organizing everything." She gently stroked Kaoru's red-brown hair. "But if you want me to stay, I can call and…"

"No," Kaoru interrupted. "You should go. Its probably nothing, and I'll have Hikaru and the maids here to look after me. If anything happens I can always call Kyoya. They have the best doctors."

Lady Hitachin kissed her son's forehead. "You're my brave Kaoru. I love you."

Kaoru gave his mother a weak hug. "Love you too, Mom."

-------------------------------------------

**A/N** - Firstly, thanks much to all reviewers for your comments...

Secondly, i think a few issues are in need of addressing... beginning with how names are spelt... now, i do not have access to the anime episodes 24/7, therefore i rely on my 8 Volumes of Ouran manga for referencing, so i spell the chara names the way i see them in the manga, ie: Hitachin, Kyoya, Suou, etc... there are also some chapters in the manga that havent been put into the anime yet..

also, regarding the OOC-ness in Chapter 1... well.. canonically, Ouran is a comedy and some things that work well for comedy, such as the banana peel, Renge coming up through the floor, etc.. dont really translate well into a drama fic without completely killing the mood of the story.. furthermore, for Hikaru and Haruhi, it was mentioned at the beginning of the story that it had been a long day for them all, and sometimes when you're exhausted, you tend to do and say things you normally wouldnt and vice versa..

being a comedy anime/manga, many of the charas also tend to be taken at only surface levels sometimes... what i like to do is strip away some of those layers and see what lies underneath and makes them tick... Sure, Hani's always talking about cake most of the time, but he's number one in his class... there has to be intelligence there somewhere, and i believe he's capable of serious conversation when the need calls for it... same with Mori... he may not speak alot, but it doesnt mean he doesnt speak at all...

this is also, only the first chapter of what i have a feeling will be a considerably long fic, so dont jump to conclusions simply by reading an introduction... at no point was it stated that i was leaving out Kyoya's notebook.. be patient, it simply hasnt made its appearance yet... as for the laptop.. in vol 6 of the manga there is a scene of him sitting in the Music Room in front of a laptop, hence why i used the imagery in this..

Thirdly, regarding this chapter and the use of terms to address the Hosts parents... Hitachin is their mother's last name, thus she is the head of the family there.. i felt using Mrs. Hitachin felt a bit too... commoner... granted that they're all rich and own heaps of property, i decided to use Lady Hitachin instead, in that she is the Lady of the house.. so to speak.


	3. Conversations

Hikaru watched longingly as Kyoya and Hani drove off home in their cars, before following the Host Club president down the school drive and onto the street. He wished, not for the first time, that he could have gotten a ride with one of them, but they had all agreed that a walk home with Tamaki was better for him. Well hang them all! Didn't any of them realize he wanted to get back and check on his brother? He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Obviously not.

He walked behind the blond silently for a while, trying to think of a way to get rid of him so that he could at least catch a taxi back to his home. Then he smirked.

"Are you sure it was okay to let Haruhi go home alone, Highness?" he asked.

Tamaki only shrugged. "She's meeting her father."

"Oh." The smirk evaporated and Hikaru's shoulders slumped.

"Besides," the second-year continued. "Its obvious that you need me more than she does right now."

Hikaru snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. What makes you think I need you?"

"It's a lovely evening isn't it?" Tamaki asked with a flash of his deep blue eyes, as he turned his head up slightly to the breeze.

"For you, I'm sure," Hikaru muttered through clenched jaws. "Answer the question, Highness."

"Of course, I'm sure you would be enjoying it a lot more if Kaoru was here."

Hikaru frowned. "Don't rub it in alright."

"Still, its better than walking home all alone, right?" Tamaki finished, steam-rolling over everything the younger boy had said, as he fell into step with him.

The twin sighed. "Yes, Kaoru should have been here, is that what you want me to say? I'm sorry I snapped at him, is that what you want to hear?"

"My dear boy," Tamaki laughed. "There's no point in telling me these things."

"Then what do you want from me!" Hikaru stopped and yelled at him.

The blond's eyes widened slightly and the laughter died on his lips as he turned to face the angry junior.

"I don't want anything from you," he said. "But it would be good for you if you stopped doing that."

Hikaru almost threw his hands up in frustration. "Doing what!"

"That. What you're doing now. What you did to Kaoru."

"I didn't do anything to Kaoru! Stop implying that I did something horrible to hurt him. I only told him to stop acting and behave himself at dinner."

"How do you know he was acting?" Tamaki asked simply.

"I don't know! That's why I want to get home and see if he's alright!" Hikaru glared at his senior.

Tamaki caught a flower petal that blew past his face and gently rubbed it between his thumb and fore-finger. "We take the things we know so well for granted sometimes," he murmured softly, as if speaking to the petal. "We only realize how much we miss them when we don't have them around anymore." He raised his hand and blew the petal from his palm, to let it get caught up in the wind again.

"Senior Tamaki," Hikaru began, starting to lose patience with his flighty club president. "Get to the point."

"My point is that I want you to think about what you did," Tamaki replied, blue eyes boring into hazel-green. "THINK Hikaru. Think carefully about it, and about what Senior Hani and I told you." He started walking again.

Hikaru stood where he was and tried to recall what had been said. Then his eyes widened in a sudden realization and he dashed after Tamaki, grabbing the back of the other boy's jacket.

"K-Kaoru… is there something wrong with him?" he asked urgently. "Is it serious? Is he going to die? Is that why you told me all those things?"

Tamaki stopped and gripped Hikaru's shoulders, giving him a gentle shake. "Hey, hey, slow down. Kaoru's not dying – that's thinking too much – but he's not well. Senior Mori took him home, and Kyoya's already sent a doctor over to your house."

Hikaru's lips curled into a pout. "Then why wont you let me go home and be with him?"

"Because he needs a brother. Not a guard-dog who's going to snap at anyone who tries to touch him."

"I should snap at you," Hikaru said. "You all knew he was sick, why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't know till Kyoya told me," Tamaki admitted. "Even if I did know, I wouldn't have mentioned it, because I'm not the one that matters."

The younger boy hung his head and stared at the ground. "I've been a horrible brother. I couldn't even tell my own twin was sick."

"That's not a very helpful attitude either," Tamaki said. "Now do you see why we can't let you go home just yet?"

Hikaru nodded. "Because Kaoru needs a brother and not some self-pitying fool." He looked up at Tamaki again. "When you said 'think' just now, you meant I should stop thinking of myself and think of Kaoru, didn't you?"

"No. When I said 'think', I just meant 'think', but if you want to take it that way, please, by all means go ahead."

"Oh." Hikaru blinked. "Well, if I say I'm okay now, can we take a taxi home?"

"No," Tamaki said again. "We're going to finish this walk so you can tell Kaoru about it when you get home. It might make him feel better."

Hikaru sighed in resignation. "Fine, lead the way."

Tamaki smiled, slung an arm around the boy's shoulders and happily continued to stroll down the street. Inspite of himself, Hikaru felt his mouth curling up into a small smile as well, as he looked at the trees around him that were now kissed with the gold of the setting sun.

They crossed a bridge and stopped a moment to toss a few pebbles into the bubbling stream below. All around them they could hear the sounds of birds calling to each other as they returned to their nests. For a moment, Hikaru wondered if Kaoru had known about all of this and that was why he'd wanted to walk home – so Hikaru could see it too.

He glanced at Tamaki and noticed that the older boy seemed happier to be out here instead of returning to his own home. He thought about what the blond had said earlier, and something occurred to him that he hadn't realized before.

"Do you miss your mother?" he asked the senior softly.

Tamaki looked at him, a little surprised. "Why do you ask?"

"Because of what you said about missing the things you took for granted."

The blond looked back at his reflection in the water and tossed another pebble in, making the image ripple. "Sometimes," he replied. "Like during Christmas and Mother's Day."

Hikaru threw a pebble in. "Come over to our house one day, when Kaoru's better. I'll ask Mom to cook a meal for you."

Tamaki's eyes lit up a little bit. "I havent had that kind of a meal in years. That would be nice, Hikaru."

"Yeah, I thought so. Mom hasn't cooked for us in a while either." Hikaru straightened and clapped the second-year lightly on the back, before resuming walking. "So tell me about France."

The Suou heir fell into step with the first-year. "You need to specify which part of France."

Hikaru smiled a little. "The nicest part."

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**A/N - **Thank you to all my reviewers, first and foremost, glad you're liking this so far, and i hope you'll stay on through this crazy little ride... i honestly have no idea where or how its going to end, so i'm taking it chapter by chapter...

i wanted this chapter to bring out a little more of Tamaki's personality where he shows he really does care for his friends under all his charm and flamboyance... he may be an idiot during club moments, but he's got depth too, and he knows when to stop being an idiot and be a friend.. something like what he did for Haruhi during the beach episode when he saved her from the water...

So eventhough this fic is Twins-centric, expect to see some of the other charas get their own chapters too...


	4. Courage

It was growing dark by the time the two reached the Hitachin mansion and Hikaru was slightly surprised to find a limo parked on the driveway with one of Tamaki's chauffer's standing beside it. He shot the blond a look.

"I told my driver to pick me up from your house," Tamaki explained. "You didn't think I was going to walk home in the dark all by myself did you? Its too dangerous."

"The thought never crossed my mind, Highness," Hikaru replied wryly.

The driver bowed to both boys, then opened the back passenger door for Tamaki. Before he got in, the older boy turned to the younger.

"Take care of yourself, and give Kaoru my regards," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Highness," Hikaru replied.

He continued up the drive and ran up the few steps into the house, as Tamaki got into his car and drove off. His mother met him in the main hall as he entered.

"Mom," he said. "How's Kaoru?"

"Sleeping," she replied. "The doctor was here to see him earlier."

"Is he going to be alright?"

Lady Hitachin sighed and went into the parlour where she sat down on one end of a plush sofa.

Hikaru followed her, growing worried. "Mom?"

"Come and sit with me," she said.

The boy did as asked, and sat beside his mother on the sofa, looking at her with large hazel-green eyes that were full of concern.

"Did Tamaki-san leave alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, he did. He just left," Hikaru replied.

His mother looked back at him. "Kaoru covered for you again. No, not about how you were coming home. You two fought again didn't you?"

Hikaru nodded. "He said he wasn't feeling well, and I didn't believe him. I thought he was only pretending and got angry with him because I felt he was just trying to get attention." He buried his face in his hands. "I want to tell him I'm sorry, but… something's wrong isn't it? He's serious…".

Lady Hitachin put an arm around her son and drew him closer so he could rest his head on her shoulder, then gently ran her fingers through his soft, red-brown hair.

"Kaoru's down with a fever," she said. "The doctor said its probably a flu virus of some sort. He gave him some antibiotics to prevent any secondary infections like a cough or cold, but said it was best to let Kaoru get over the fever on his own."

"Will he be okay?" Hikaru asked softly.

"Your brother's stronger than you give him credit for sometimes," she replied. "Or else I wouldn't be flying off to Milan tomorrow."

Hikaru blinked. "Wait, you're leaving? But what about Kaoru? Who's going to take care of him?"

"I believe he has a twin who would do all he could for him. I wouldn't be going if Kaoru didn't give me his blessing, Hikaru. And I have faith in you. Who else can I trust him to if not his own twin brother?"

"Mom… what if… what if I screw up? What if I'M not strong enough?"

Lady Hitachin gently raised her son's head to look at her. "Being strong doesn't only mean fighting. It also means having the courage to put aside your own fear to care for someone else. You may have a lot of things in this life, but you only have one twin, Hikaru, and he needs you."

Hikaru closed his eyes for a moment, trying to focus. He was scared. He was scared, but he didn't want to admit it, especially after what his mother had said about strength and courage. He thought about Tamaki and what the boy had said about taking things for granted. Had he always taken Kaoru for granted?

He thought about Hani's words. The senior seemed to know what he was talking about. Was that because of the relationship he had with his own younger brother? Did Hikaru want his relationship with Kaoru to be like that? Nothing but fighting and resentment. No, he decided he didn't.

In that case, he knew he had to stop thinking of himself and focus on Kaoru. It was that simple really. He opened his eyes and looked at his mother again, filled with a sense of determination.

"Kaoru's right," he told her. "You should go. I'll look after him while you're away."

Lady Hitachin leaned and pressed a kiss on the bridge of her son's nose. "I knew I could count on you. I trust you Hikaru, I know you wont let me down."

The boy gave his mother a light hug. "I love you, Mom. You wont be away long will you?"

"I'll be back on Monday." She touched his cheek. "Now… go on, finish your homework and get some sleep. You still have school tomorrow."

"Where is Kaoru?"

"A guest-room, close to your room." She raised her hands as Hikaru started to protest. "It was at his request. He didn't want you to get sick as well."

The older twin sighed. Even when sick, his younger brother still wanted to look out for him. He stood up and made his way to the door. "Goodnight, Mom."

She joined him. "Goodnight Hikaru. I love you, too, son."

Hikaru headed upstairs to the room he normally shared with Kaoru, which now felt strangely empty as he stepped inside, stripped off his uniform and went to take a shower. The rest of the night was spent doing his homework in the study so as not to be distracted by the absence of his twin, who would normally have been glancing over his shoulder to check if he was doing his English correctly.

As he padded softly back to his room when he was done, he passed by Kaoru's room and unconsciously stopped at the door. A longing to apologize for what he had said earlier compelled him to quietly enter the chamber that was now bathed in silvery moonlight.

Kaoru lay stretched on his right side facing the window, soundly asleep in nothing but a singlet and a pair of shorts. A blanket lay haphazardly over him.

Hikaru let out a gentle sigh and quietly went up to his brother, looking down at him fondly for a moment before bending and spreading out the blanket, draping one end of it over the sleeping boy's shoulder. Leaning over, he pressed cool lips to his twin's hot, flushed cheek in a light kiss.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru," he whispered.

He straightened, took one more look at his other half, then quietly left the room, not noticing when Kaoru stirred, cracked his eyes open and murmured "Hikaru", before returning to sleep.

Going back to his room, he curled up on the large bed, which now felt rather cold and empty without his brother's presence there to keep him warm. Huddling under the blanket, he pulled Kaoru's pillow into his arms and hugged it tight, pressing his nose to it and inhaling the calming sweet-spicy scent of his twin's hair. It was the next best thing to having Kaoru there in person.

Closing his eyes, Hikaru willed himself to sleep, telling himself that he needed his rest if he was going to look after Kaoru well over the weekend. In spite of his worries though, exhaustion finally took over and he was asleep in minutes.

Neither twin knew when their mother woke just before dawn and silently entered each room to kiss them goodbye. She leaned over Hikaru and gently stroked his hair before kissing his forehead.

"I'm proud of you Hikaru," she murmured. "I know you wont let me down."

Entering Kaoru's room, she carefully touched his forehead to check on his fever, and drew her hand back just the little bit worried since there had been no apparent change to his condition from the previous day. She leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, just like Hikaru had done earlier.

"Get well soon, my Kaoru," was the whisper in his ear. "And forgive your brother. He still loves you."

She left the room, then made her way downstairs to the waiting car, summoning to her those servants who were closest to the twins.

"I'm leaving Kaoru to Hikaru's care," she informed them. "I believe this will be a good learning experience for them both, therefore I am requesting that none of you interfere unless in dire circumstances."

The servants bowed their understanding and proceeded to go back to their chores as she got into the limo and drove off from the mansion.

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**A/N - **Thank you to all reviewers once more, i'm glad you're enjoying this, cos eventhough the theme here is quite serious, i'm having alot of fun writing it and delving a little deeper into their characters.. -SoRomantic- you'll see Kao-chan in a while, the poor boy needs his rest after all... -Hikaru- even as i write this fic, i have a bunny nibbling in my headspace about a concept of Tamaki and his mother.. we'll see what happens..

Speaking of mothers... without spoiling vol 6 of the manga, i'll just say that i love the Twins' mom... she comes across as a person with a very fun-loving personality, though she can be serious when the need calls for it, and she's beautiful... and i get the idea that if she takes a liking to you, she can be really nice to you in a genuine way. She is also the head of the Hitachin household, the name 'Hitachin' being their mother's last name, so i see her as being quite smart too... so i couldnt wait to write her... this might not be the last you see of her either... she will definitely appear in at least one more chapter, before the end..


	5. Confrontation

Hikaru stared gloomily at the board as he sat inside the classroom, trying to focus on what the teacher was saying. He had been quiet all morning, barely speaking to anyone, but that was mainly because he soon got tired of answering all the "where is Kaoru?" questions that the other students asked, more out of curiosity than concern.

The mansion had felt a lot lonelier and gloomier that morning when he woke up, what with his mother gone and Kaoru still asleep – the fever still burning within his lithe, slender body. Hikaru had debated on waking him up before he left, but then decided against it. Better to have him rest than be awake and lonely by himself in that big house, unable to do anything but lie in bed.

Haruhi glanced over at him for the seventh time that day, wondering what was going through the older twin's head. She could tell he missed his brother simply by his body language alone if not from the way he didn't even bother to put in an effort during his favorite subjects – like this one.

There was no way she could possibly understand what he was feeling, but that didn't mean she didn't miss Kaoru too. The younger twin was always willing to help her out, especially during English and Art – two subjects he was particularly good at. Finally she leaned over and whispered to Hikaru.

"I'm very sorry for what I said to you and Kaoru yesterday. I shouldn't have, it wasn't like me at all. I was just so tired that I got cranky and didn't think straight."

Hikaru turned his head to look at her, and was about to reply when he felt the teacher's eye on them.

"Fujioka Haruhi, the answer please," he snapped.

Haruhi blinked and stammered, trying vainly to recall the question. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hikaru quickly scribble down something on a piece of paper and subtly push it to the edge of his desk while clearing his throat. Haruhi glanced and saw that he'd written the answer down for her. She hurriedly responded, then breathed a sigh of relief when the teacher turned back to write on the board.

"Thanks," she whispered to him.

"I'm sorry too," Hikaru murmured. "I should have believed him, but I guess I was tired as well."

The bell rang, signalling the end of class and they stood up along with the other students. It also signalled the end of lessons for the day and the beginning of extra-curricular activities which, to both of them, meant the Host Club. Haruhi fell into step with Hikaru as they walked to the music room.

"I made some chicken soup for Kaoru," she said. "Its not much, but its good to have when you're sick. Can you make sure he has some?"

"Why don't you come back home with me and give it to him yourself?" Hikaru suggested.

"I'd like that. I'd be able to apologize to him personally, too," Haruhi replied. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

Hikaru shook his head. "I could use the help. I don't know the first thing about looking after a sick person."

"Oh," Haruhi started to say, then stopped when she saw the notice pasted on the door of the Music Room.

"What?" Hikaru asked, then saw the sign for himself. He frowned, then looked at the girl. "Wait here," he said, before pushing the door open and going inside.

Kyoya was there just as he had expected, leaning against the wall and scribbling in his ever-present notebook that was braced against one forearm. Tamaki was there as well, sitting on the window-ledge and reading from a book of French poetry. Hikaru shut the door, then went up to Kyoya.

"What do you mean, Host Club activities are cancelled for the day?" he asked.

Kyoya shut his notebook and raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought you'd have rushed home to be with your brother instead of bothering to come in and ask me something as obvious as that."

"What do you mean 'obvious'?"

"Well we can't possibly have the 'brotherly love' act with just one brother now can we?" The boy pushed his glasses up his nose and prepared to open his notebook again. "I don't see why you're wasting time arguing this with me, Hikaru, especially with a sick twin at home and your mother out of the country."

"How do you know my mother's left the country?" Hikaru asked, hazel-green eyes narrowing.

His senior seemed merely content to look down at his notebook again. Swearing colorfully, he snatched the notebook out of the dark-haired boy's hands and tossed it aside on to the couch.

"Damn it, Kyoya, how?" he snarled, crossing his arms. "Are you spying on us?"

Tamaki raised his head from his book and glanced over at them.

"Your mother mentioned it to the doctor yesterday," he replied calmly. "She was worried about whether or not it was okay to leave Kaoru alone with just you."

"With just me?" Hikaru's eyes flashed. "Do explain."

Kyoya sighed. "For goodness sake, you didn't even know he was sick. What makes you think you can take care of him?"

"Because I'm his brother – his TWIN brother."

"And you're doing a very good job of it," Kyoya dead-panned. "You couldn't even tell there was something wrong with him yesterday to begin with, and now you're still here arguing with me."

"Because I don't trust you," Hikaru snapped. "You wouldn't cancel club activities out of the goodness of your heart just because Kaoru was sick and I couldn't be here. You still have four other people to work with."

During this time, Tamaki had put down his book and was now on his feet, wondering if he should intervene and defuse the situation.

"It would not have come across well with our customers to show that we could carry on as normal without two of our key members," Kyoya said, indifferently. "It was far better to play up the 'all-for-one, one-for-all' angle, to show we care for each other and win the sentiment of the ladies."

"Except you don't care at all, do you?" Hikaru asked, with a glare. "You don't care about Kaoru at all, you're just using this situation to make money off your online auctions by playing on people's feelings. Has your desire for profits really pulled you down so low that you would use your friends' misfortune to make money?"

"Hikaru, stop it," Tamaki said, taking a few strides towards the pair.

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't have sent a doctor to your house to check on Kaoru while you were here in school," Kyoya countered.

"You WHAT!" Something inside Hikaru snapped and he lashed out at the older boy, grabbing the lapels of his uniform jacket and pulling him closer. "How DARE you! How dare you send some stranger to my home where my brother's all alone and defenseless! And behind my back! When were you going to tell me, Kyoya? When? Or were you going to keep that to yourself as well?"

By this time, Tamaki had reached them. "Control your temper, Hikaru," he said, trying to pry the younger boy's hands off his friend's jacket. "Let him go, and go home. Kaoru needs you."

"Do you want to use this for future blackmail!" Hikaru yelled at the vice-president. "Do you want my mother to be indebted to your estate in return for this! Just so you can make your position as the third son seem a little better!"

"HIKARU!" Tamaki said loudly and firmly, finally shoving both boys apart. "GO HOME!"

The older twin backed towards the door, glaring venomously at the two second years. "You." He pointed a finger at Kyoya. "You and your people stay away from my family," he hissed, before heading back outside and slamming the door behind him.

Haruhi jumped at the sudden loud noise and looked at him with worried eyes. "Is everything alright?" she asked. "What happened in there? I heard yelling."

"Everything's fine," Hikaru replied a little curtly. "Nothing happened, I was just discussing something with Kyoya."

Threatening Kyoya was more like it, she thought as she followed the boy along the hallway and down the stairs, but decided not to press the issue on seeing the dark expression on his face. She watched him as he whipped out his phone and sharply asked his driver to bring the car around.

Something had obviously happened in the Music Room, and less-than-pleasant words had probably been said, most likely by Hikaru to cover up some of the guilt he no doubt felt at not having realized his twin's illness before anyone else. He was probably also irritated that Kyoya had been the first to notice.

They reached the main entrance/exit, and found the car waiting for them. Hikaru hung back and let her get in first, before sliding in himself and pulling the door shut a little harder than was necessary. Then he proceeded to slouch against the door, surrounded by a black cloud of thunder and brimstone.

Haruhi sighed. This was going to be a long drive.

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**A/N - **So this chapter kinda reveals what Hikaru can be like when he doesnt have Kaoru around to reign in that fiery temper of his... i like to think he's the type that uses anger as a way to mask his worry sometimes as well as an outlet for his feelings, thus sometimes, the anger he feels towards himself can sometimes be directed at others since he hasnt learned how to channel it the right way... something i'm sure Kaoru's working on... probably why Kyoya didnt try to fight back

- see if anyone can guess the reference to that, and why i used it... answer to be revealed in the A/N of the next chapter, which will be up once is back up... till then, enjoy this one...


	6. Interlude

**A/N: this chapter contains some mile Tamaki/Kyoya, so if slash/yaoi is not your thing, you might wanna skip this... **

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Tamaki winced as the door banged shut, then shook his head and looked at Kyoya. The older boy just shrugged, smiled and went to retrieve his notebook from the couch. But the smile was a bitter one and it did not escape the Host Club president's notice.

"I could talk to him again," he offered.

"It wont do any good," Kyoya replied, sitting down. "He's still too angry at himself."

"That doesn't give him the right to yell at you like that and say those things to you," Tamaki replied, sitting beside him.

Kyoya shrugged. "You know how volatile he is without Kaoru around to calm him down."

"That's not an excuse. He's not always going to have Kaoru around to help him reign in his temper. Those are not the things you say to friends."

"Maybe he was justified," Kyoya murmured.

Tamaki looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I was going to use the 'all-for-one' angle to generate some profits for the club to make up for what we are missing out on today," Kyoya admitted.

"Really?" Tamaki's eyes widened. "You actually thought that idea of mine was good?"

Kyoya nodded. "I still intend to use it."

"Oh… but… then… all the other things you did…"

"I didn't do it for profit," was the soft reply. "There is no real monetary benefit the Otori estate would gain from helping the Hitachin, because the businesses do not really complement each other – health and management versus the fashion industry – unless we want them to design new nurses uniforms."

Tamaki smiled a bit. "Then why did you do it?"

"For the personal satisfaction of helping a friend."

The blond frowned then. "I should go and drag that wretch back here and have him apologize."

"Leave him alone, Tamaki. Hikaru's already beating himself up for what happened to Kaoru, and he's going to have a rough time ahead of him. His anger was simply mis-placed, leave it at that."

Kyoya took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose to ease the pressure that had built up over the past few moments. Then, just as he was about to slip them on again, Tamaki's fingers intercepted them and carefully took them from his hands. Kyoya's eyebrow twitched.

"Then let Daddy give Mommy some comfort for all the harsh words that were said earlier," the blond said as he gently cupped his best friend's cheek in one hand, while slipping the folded glasses into their owner's pants' pocket with the other.

The vice-president felt he should protest, but Tamaki's touch was far too soothing to let him. Instead, he reached up and brushed some of the other boy's blond fringe out of his eyes. Tamaki did have such beautiful deep-blue eyes, probably got them from his mother, Kyoya mused.

"Mommy would like that, Daddy," he replied.

Tamaki scooted to the other end of the couch so that Kyoya could stretch out and rest his head on his lap. As soon as the dark-haired boy had done that, the blond began to gently massage his temples. Kyoya let out a small sigh of relief as he felt some of the pain alleviate.

"Why is Hikaru going to have a rough time?" Tamaki asked after a few moments of peaceful silence had passed. "Will Kaoru be alright?" When the other boy didn't answer right away, he thought he'd fallen asleep. "Kyoya?"

"Influenza varies from person to person," Kyoya replied quietly, giving a small moan of approval as Tamaki's hands moved down to his neck and shoulders. "Recovery depends on the strength of the individual to overcome the virus. Kaoru's been pushing himself lately – class exams and projects, club activities, his brother – he's probably not at his strongest, which is probably why he fell sick in the first place."

"So that means?" Tamaki slipped his hands under his friend's shirt so that he could get a firmer grip on the soft flesh as he rubbed.

Kyoya undid the top few buttons of his shirt and loosened his tie, to give the other easier access. "He could get worse before he gets better."

"We should tell Hikaru, see if he needs help." Tamaki's anger at the younger boy had dissipated on hearing this latest bit of information. He knew what it was like to worry for a sick loved-one.

"Let him cool off," Kyoya replied, in no mood to move any of his limbs at the moment. "I'll call him tomorrow."

"You're not afraid he'll yell at you again?"

"Sick or not, I believe Kaoru will still have a sobering effect on his twin."

"You're probably right," Tamaki replied, then as an after-thought, he added. "Have you seen Haruhi today?"

"She went off with Hikaru to see how Kaoru is," Kyoya said calmly.

The hands froze on his skin as Tamaki sat up straight.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner!"

"You didn't ask."

"What if our darling daughter gets hurt!" the blond sighed as he leaned back again. "Such a brave girl." Kyoya nudged him to set his hands in motion again, but he was still fretting. "What if she catches what Kaoru's having and falls sick too!"

"I've heard commoners are more resistant to falling ill because of their laborious lifestyles. It builds their immune systems. So you needn't worry about Haruhi." Kyoya nudged him again. "Now please, do continue."

Tamaki sighed with a fond smile and appeased him. "So what do I get out of this, hmm Mommy?"

The other boy smiled back. "Well, since Daddy has been such a good boy today, what would he like?"

The blond grinned charmingly. "You could return the favor." His blue eyes danced invitingly.

"With or without interest?" Kyoya asked, already reaching up to un-button Tamaki's shirt.

"I'll collect the interest another day."

"We have a deal then."

The dark-haired boy sat up and let the other lean back against him, combing his fingers through his blond hair before moving his hands beneath his shirt, to rub shoulders that were just one shade fairer than his. Tamaki relaxed in his friend's arms and let another moment of peaceful silence pass before he broke it again.

"What will we do if he gets worse?"

"We'll worry about it if it happens, hmm?" Kyoya murmured soothingly into his ear.

Tamaki nodded, content to leave it at that for now.

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**A/N: **Any technical glitches you experienced on ch 5 were probably due to the power-outages on ffnet and were no fault of mine...

so did anyone catch the "all-for-one, one-for-all" reference? if not... a probable reason for why Tamaki came up with the idea is because the phrase comes from the story of the Three Musketeers by French author Alexander Dumas.

apologies for this chapter being relatively short compared to the others, but real life issues called and i had no choice... rest assured the next chapter will be longer, and yes, Kaoru will be in it... so please be patient, it will be up soon. till then, enjoy this one...


	7. Chicken Soup

The dark cloud of anger that had been surrounding Hikaru when they left the school had faded by the time they pulled up the drive to the Hitachin mansion – much to Haruhi's relief – only to be replaced by a sense of worry for his twin.

Even before the car had come to a complete stop, Hikaru had flung open the door and jumped out, racing up the steps and into the house, barely hearing the servants' welcomes. He seemed to have forgotten completely about Haruhi as well, as he raced up the stairs to the second storey. He only stopped at the top step when he heard Haruhi call his name.

He looked down to see her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where can I warm up the soup?" she asked.

"You can pass it to one of the maids, they'll do it for you," Hikaru replied, panting just slightly.

"I'd much rather do it myself," Haruhi said. She offered a smile. "Its my gift after all."

Hikaru nodded, understanding. "Down the hall to your left. Tell the cook you're there on my authority if they try to stop you from doing anything. Ask the maid to show you to Kaoru's room when you're done."

"Got it," Haruhi nodded, and went to find the kitchen.

Hikaru took a breath, then headed to his brother's room, entering quietly and making his way to the bed. Dropping his bag to the floor, he knelt beside the still-sleeping boy and gave him a visual once-over, checking for any signs that would tell him if Kaoru had been hurt. If that doctor of Kyoya's had touched him inappropriately in any way, Hikaru would unleash hell on all parties concerned.

Convinced for the moment though, that there was nothing amiss at first glance, he leaned over and gently cupped Kaoru's cheek and forehead. Both were still hot, as evidenced at how flushed his face was, which meant that he was still very sick. Hikaru sighed. He had been hoping that with some over-night sleep, Kaoru would start to get better, but now he figured that had been too much to hope for.

"Serves me right," he muttered to himself.

Brushing back some of Kaoru's red-brown hair from his eyes, Hikaru shook him very gently, half-loathing himself for disturbing his brother's seemingly peaceful slumber.

"Kaoru," he whispered softly. "Kaoru, wake up, please."

The younger twin stirred slightly and hazel-green eyes peeked out from the small cracks between their lids. They widened slightly at the identical hazel-green eyes staring back at him, before Kaoru blinked once to clear his vision. It wasn't a dream, as he'd first thought it. His brother was indeed there with him.

"H… Hika… ru," he rasped, his voice sounding as dry as sandpaper.

The older twin winced upon hearing his name spoken in such a parched voice. Immediately he got up and poured out a cup of water from a cooler that sat on a table nearby. Kneeling by the bed again, he carefully slipped his hand behind Kaoru's neck and gently raised his head off the pillow, placing the rim of the cup to his lips.

Kaoru took a small cautious sip. Then another, and another. When he had drained the cup, Hikaru laid his head back down on the pillow and then noticed that his eyes had brightened a little.

"I'm so sorry, Kaoru," he said, his own voice sounding like it was about to break. "I never meant to say that to you yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't listen."

Kaoru touched Hikaru's cheek with a light finger. "Its alright." His voice was still raspy, but didn't sound so dry and painful now.

"No, no its not alright. I'm going to make it up to you. I'm going to look after you and make you well again."

"That would be nice," Kaoru smiled wearily and began to let his eyes close again.

"Wait! Don't sleep yet." Hikaru clutched his hand. "You must eat something. Haruhi's here, she brought some chicken soup for you."

"Yes, and its good for you," Haruhi said, walking into the room – a spoon and a small bowl of warm soup in her hands. "Please have some. Hikaru, prop his pillow up against the headboard so he can lean against it to eat."

The boy did as instructed, gently lifting his brother's light torso up in one arm, while using his other hand to position the pillow. Kaoru tried to make himself as little of a burden as possible, making no sound against the dull ache in his body as Hikaru moved him to lean his body back against the pillow.

When he was sure his twin was comfortable, Hikaru took the bowl and spoon from Haruhi and sat on the edge of the bed in front of him. Dipping the spoon into the broth, he let it fill with the nutritious liquid, before lifting it out and blowing lightly on it to cool it. Then he held it to Kaoru's mouth.

"Please?" he asked, hazel-green eyes imploring silently.

The younger twin relented and leaned forward slightly to take the soup into his mouth. He swallowed slowly, letting the warm liquid slide down his throat, and was pleasantly surprised that not only could he taste it, but that it tasted good. It sent a warm tingle through his body which, though hot to the touch on the surface, was freezing on the inside. He eagerly leaned to take the second spoonful.

Haruhi smiled to herself as she watched Hikaru feed Kaoru the soup, then turned away so as not to intrude on what felt like an intimate moment between the twins. Instead, she looked around to see what more she could do to ease some of Kaoru's discomfort. She didn't need to touch him to know that he had a high fever. One look was enough. She started to walk to the windows.

"When was the last time you let any fresh air into the room?" she asked. "Air conditioning isn't always good, especially for a sick person, and a little sunlight wouldn't hurt either."

The brothers could only watch as Haruhi parted the curtains and let some of the early evening sunlight illuminate the room. Then she opened the windows. A warm, fresh breeze wafted inside, driving away some of the cold, stale air that had been trapped inside. Kaoru breathed in the natural air and almost immediately felt just a little bit better, finishing the rest of the soup as fast as his brother could feed it to him. The air also helped to lighten Hikaru's mood and he smiled a bit as he watched his brother eargerly swallow the remaining broth.

Finally Hikaru put down the empty bowl, then leaned in and gave Kaoru a gentle hug that said wordlessly that everything was alright between them again. Haruhi walked up to them.

"Kaoru, I'm sorry for what I said to you," she apologized.

"Don't." Kaoru weakly raised a hand to stop her. "Let it go, please. I think you more than made up for it."

The girl chuckled then. "There's more soup downstairs, if that's what you mean. Hikaru can heat some up for you tomorrow, and I can bring more over on Sunday if you still want more."

Kaoru smiled. "That would be nice."

He downed the required dose of medicine with another cup of water, then Hikaru helped him to lie back down again, his eyes fluttering closed almost immediately

"How do you know all this?" the older twin asked as he watched his brother carefully.

"We commoners know a few things about nursing," Haruhi replied with a grin.

"Would you care to share a little more of your commoner wisdom? Like I said, I've never done this before."

Haruhi ran a hand through her short, dark-brown hair, but before she could say anything, they were both distracted by the sound of gentle breathing. Feeling slightly better after the food and fresh air, and with the medicine now taking effect, Kaoru had gone right back to sleep, slightly curled on his left side with his left arm resting on the pillow beside his head, and his right arm draped over his waist.

Hikaru sighed as he pulled the blanket up over his brother's shoulder, and Haruhi smiled.

"Maybe we should continue this outside, so we don't disturb him," she suggested.

"Good idea." Hikaru straightened and followed her out, shutting the door softly behind him.

Once outside, Haruhi turned to him, expression serious. "Let the windows stay open, just draw the curtains closed at night so that the frest air can still come in, but not the draughts," she instructed. "If he feels well enough to take solid food, you can give him some toast and syrup in addition to the chicken soup. Most importantly, keep him hydrated and make sure he has plenty of water."

Hikaru looked at her in awe. "Maybe you should stay here and take care of him instead of me."

"Don't be silly, you'll be fine," she replied. "Just make sure YOU get enough of rest. You don't want to fall sick as well, who'd take care of Kaoru then?"

The boy nodded. "How are you getting home? I can send you back if you like."

"I'll be fine, Haruhi assured him. "Take care of yourself. If I were you, I'd have a shower and get some sleep right now."

"Yeah, I probably should." The older twin then pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "Thank you," he murmured. "For helping me and Kaoru."

Haruhi blushed slightly as he released her. "Its no problem at all, I'm happy to help."

Hikaru took a step back to let her go. "Goodnight Haruhi."

"Goodnight Hikaru," she replied. "Call me if you need anything."

The boy nodded, then watched her as she made her way down the stairs and out the doors, after which he retrieved his bag from Kaoru's room, made his way to his own room and took a nice, long shower. Then he headed to the study to finish his homework.

Later that night, he checked in on Kaoru again. He seemed to be a little better than he had been the previous night and that relieved Hikaru somewhat. Hopefully he would be better soon and they could all go back to their normal routines. He placed a cool hand on his twin's forehead and Kaoru stirred in his sleep with a soft sigh of approval that made Hikaru smile,.

He then crossed the room quitely and went up to the windows, where he paused and looked out at the dark starry sky. Before he drew the curtains shut, he made a soft plea to whatever higher powers were out there listening right now.

"Please," he whispered softly. "Help me to help him."

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A/N - Thanks to all who reviewed Ch 6... seems everyone enjoyed the brief Tama/Kyo interlude.. and as promised, this chapter is slightly longer to make up for the brevity of the last one...

In this one we have Haru and Hika trying to make it up to Kaoru for being nasty to him the night before... Haru is right in a way... air conditioning really can be the worst thing when you're having a fever, and outdoorsy fresh air makes a world of a difference.

If Hikaru feels a little out of his element, thats cos he prolly is... usually, its always Kaoru taking care of him, and now the roles have reversed...

thats all i have for now... enjoy!


	8. Siblings

It was a little past eight on a Saturday morning, and outside the Haninozuka mansion, a small fair-haired figure clad in a white martial arts uniform walked slowly back to the main house through the lush gardens after a morning training session. He stopped for a moment and looked up at the bright blue sky.

The weather forecast had said it was going to be a beautiful day, but Mitsukuni Haninozuka frowned. His thoughts were on his friend Kaoru, and he wondered how the younger boy was doing. It probably wasn't all that much fun being shut up inside a big house on a lovely day like this, able to do nothing but lie around in bed and feel miserable.

Hani was fond of the younger Hitachin twin, because unlike his older brother, Kaoru was a little more mellow and controlled when he was on his own. They'd actually spent some time together when Kaoru needed extra help with his Maths homework, and in return he would sometimes draw Hani some beautiful pictures.

The boy had a definite artistic talent and the third-year was sure that when the twins inherited the business from their mother, Kaoru would handle all the creative work, while Hikaru took care of the business side of things.

Was Kaoru even well enough to draw today, Hani wondered as he looked around the garden. The flowers swayed colorfully in the gentle breeze and the boy wondered if his friend could see the flowers from his room. If not, maybe he could bring him some.

Hani smiled to himself then. If Kaoru couldn't come outside, then he would pay him a visit and bring him some things to cheer him up. Cake maybe, and definitely flowers. Quickly he scurried around the garden to gather himself a bunch, giving extra thought to colors and sizes.

"What are you doing?" a disdainful voice asked.

Hani looked up, the stalks of several flowers already clutched in his hand, and saw his younger, albeit taller brother standing a few feet away and watching him in utter distaste. Hani straightened.

"Good morning, Chika," he said with a smile. "How was your training?"

"Don't you have better things to do with your morning than pick flowers?" Yasuchika ignored Hani's question.

"Don't you have better things to do with your morning than worry about me picking flowers?" Hani asked in reply.

Chika's eyes narrowed. "Are you making fun of me?"

"I'm not doing anything to you, Chika."

"What is wrong with you! Do you know what people would say if they saw the Haninozuka heir walking around in the garden picking flowers!"

"And what is so wrong with that?"

"Its disgraceful, that's what it is. We're supposed to be a feared and respected family. Why must you insist on tearing down and dragging our reputation through the mud with your behavior and habits?"

Hani sighed patiently. "These flowers are -"

"I wont let you keep on shaming the name of Haninozuka. Prepare yourself, Mitsukuni!"

The older boy had only just enough time to adopt a fighting stance when the younger launched himself at him…

… … …

Over at the almost-palatial Otori residence, the third son of the family yawned and turned over on to his back. He was almost ready to reluctantly drag himself out of bed when he remembered that it was a Saturday and there was no school today. He also knew that there was something else he had to do today, but couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. He supposed he could get up and go over to his study desk where his notebook was and check, but he was far too comfortable where he was to bother. After all, contrary to popular assumptions, he didnt sleep with his notebook.

He smiled wryly to himself.

This morning peace was almost too good to be true.

Right on cue, the door to his room was flung open and his older sister walked in with a cheery "Good morning".

"What's so good about it?" Kyoya asked.

"Oh, don't be such a grouch," she replied, going over to the windows and peeking out through the curtains.

"What are you even doing here at this hour, Fuyumi? Shouldn't you be at home with your husband?"

"He had to go into work early, and I was bored, so I decided to come over and spend some time with you."

"How thoughtful of you."

"You didn't think I'd forget all about my little brother once I got married did you?" Without warning, she pushed back the curtains and let sunlight flood the room.

Kyoya let out a snarl of disapproval and covered his eyes with one forearm. "It never crossed my mind," he growled. "Now please, go away."

"Surely you're not going to lie there and let this beautiful morning go to waste?" Fuyumi asked, coming up to his bed.

"I had intended to, yes, so if you don't mind…"

Fuyumi responded by flipping the covers off her brother and Kyoya let out an uncharacteristic yelp of surprise as his bare torso was suddenly exposed to the cold air in the room.

"Fuyumi!" he sat up and tried to snatch the sheets back from his giggling sister. Honestly, she was getting to be as bad as Tamaki.

"Oh, your friend called earlier," she said. "Tamaki, I mean. He suggested the three of us go jogging in the park this morning, that's why I came to get you. Apparently, its how the commoners get their exercise."

Think of the devil, Kyoya shook his head. "We have our own private gym. I'm content with working out there."

"But that's not really the point, is it?" Fuyumi asked.

"Then do enlighten me, what IS the point?" Kyoya glared darkly.

"For me to spend time with my brother and his friend," she replied. "And think about Tamaki, all alone in that big house with no siblings or parents. Don't you think he must feel lonely?"

Well damn, he hated it when she used the emotional card on him. "Give me twenty minutes to get ready," he muttered.

"Great!" the young woman headed to the door. "Oh, and he also asked me to remind you to call your friend Hikaru and see if his brother was alright. Is he alright?"

So that's what he'd forgotten. He groped for his glasses and then for his phone. "Kaoru's down with the flu," he muttered, punching in the speed-dial for Hikaru's phone.

"Oh the poor thing," Fuyumi said. "Maybe after our jog, we can drop by and see how the poor boy is doing, maybe bring him something to cheer him up."

Kyoya waved his hand in agreement and dismissal, then put his glasses on as Hikaru's phone began to ring…

… … …

At 9 o'clock on a bright Saturday morning, joggers at one of the many parks in the area stopped and stared at the two gorgeous boys and the equally beautiful young woman that bounded past them on the pathway. One boy had deep blue eyes that were partially covered by his blond fringe now damp with sweat, and he laughed merrily as he ran alongside the dark-haired pair who were obviously siblings.

They looked happy, and many of the passers-by had to smile on seeing them; and as Kyoya laughed along with his sister and Tamaki, he had to admit that this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Now if only Hikaru would answer his damned phone…

… … …

At 9 o'clock that morning, Yasuchika Haninozuka limped back to the mansion to clean himself up, having been defeated by his brother yet again.

Hani watched him as he went into the house, then dropped to his knees to pick up the flowers that had fallen from his hand after Chika had landed a well-placed kick on his wrist. As he reached for them, a sharp jolt of pain lanced through his forearm and he winced, his fingers curling unconsciously into a fist.

Then he saw the flowers. Just like his hand, some of them, too, had not escaped damage, and now lay crushed on the ground.

Brushing away a few tears, Hani gathered up those that could still be presented and went around the garden once again, picking more flowers to compensate for those lost.

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**A/N: **Alot of fics usually dont deal with the thoughts and emotions of the rest of the Host Club when something happens to take down one of them, apart from that member's significant partner... so i thought i would deal with them... they're all close friends after all, and something happening to one of them is bound to have even a slight impact on those around him... so even though this fic is Kaoru-centric, i'm trying not to neglect the others... i figure that Hani and Kyoya probably are a little bit envious of the relationship the twins have as brothers, given that they themselves have somewhat strained or distanced relationships with their own siblings... hence this chapter's focus...

reviews, yes... again, thanks to all for the feedback... i try to update regularly when real life permits... i'm currently in my second year at university and working a part-time job as well, so whatever writing i do is done while commuting to/from school/work or during break-times or down-times... luckily, i enjoy my writing since its a nice break from the grind... furthermore, all the chapters you see go through two editing phases... i write the chapter into a notebook most of the time as its easier to carry around and access than a laptop, so after the chapter is written, it gets edited while i type it into the computer when i get home... the second phase is right here on ffnet before i post it up...

and while on the subject of author notes, i'm seeing a rather disturbing trend lately, of people putting author notes right into the middle of their fics... now i personally dislike doing this since it kills whatever flow and feel that the reader has been building up within the story... therefore, please leave the a/ns for after the fic is done...

that is all..


	9. Phone Calls

The shrill trilling of his phone finally roused Hikaru from his sleep, and he raised his head off the pillow as he blearily groped for it. His hand finally closed around the cool metal and he flipped it open, propping himself up on his elbows and noting the two previous missed calls on the display as he answered it.

"Hello?" he yawned sleepily.

"Its about time you answered," a cool voice replied on the other end. "I've been trying to call you for the past hour and a half."

"Your pardon, mighty Otori-san," Hikaru dead-panned. "I wasn't doing anything important like sleeping, having woken up twice in the last six hours to check on my brother."

"And how is Kaoru?" Kyoya asked, ignoring the insult as usual.

"He seems to be doing better." Was that a sigh of relief Hikaru heard from the other boy? "Why? What aren't you telling me this time?"

"The doctor mentioned yesterday that Kaoru might get worse, but if he is doing better as you say, then I guess we've nothing to worry about."

"How much worse?" Hikaru asked, pushing himself up to sit cross-legged on the bed, and trying to scrub the sleep from his eyes with his other hand. "Your doctor must have made a mistake, he was a lot less warmer when I last checked on him."

"Like I said, it was only a possibility. Hopefully Kaoru will be back to normal by Monday."

"I hope so, too." Hikaru stifled another yawn.

"You should go back to sleep," Kyoya advised, his voice softening a bit. "I'm sorry to have woken you, I was just worried."

"Its okay." He combed his fingers through his red-brown hair. "Listen, about yesterday…"

"Forget it, we were all…"

"I just want to say I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted."

The boy smiled to himself. "And what are you doing up this early anyway?"

"Tamaki and my sister dragged me out for a morning jog through the park."

"Ah, sucks to be you then," Hikaru replied, grinning.

"Yes, thank you for your sympathy."

"So… I'm going to check on Kaoru now."

"Alright then, take care of yourself, too."

"I will."

The two boys said their goodbyes and Hikaru hung up. Pushing the sheets off him, he rubbed his eyes again and went to check on Kaoru just in case he had gotten worse while he'd been asleep.

Quietly, he slipped into Kaoru's room again and knelt by the bed like he had being doing for the past 24 hours or so. Carefully he peered at his twin's face, only to notice that it was not as flushed as it had been the day before. A gentle touch to the boy's forehead felt cooler as well. To Hikaru this was a good thing. Kaoru seemed to be getting better.

He ran his fingers lightly through his brother's hair a few times, watching the other boy's chest rise and fall with each breath, before getting up to open the curtains a little bit. When he turned back to the room again, Kaoru was slowly opening his eyes.

"You shouldn't be waking up," Hikaru admonished gently. "Sleep is good for you."

Kaoru gave a weak chuckle. "If I sleep anymore, I'm afraid I'll turn into Sleeping Beauty or something, and then where am I going to find a handsome prince to kiss me awake?"

Hikaru sat on the edge of the bed. "Right here." He leaned over and nuzzled his beloved brother.

Kaoru nuzzled him back. "I'd let you, if it didn't mean I'd be passing you my germs."

The older twin chuckled, then stroked the younger's head. "Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Do you need something to eat?"

"Hikaru, sshhh." Kaoru touched his hand. "I'm alright."

"You must eat okay, you need to keep up your strength. I don't want you to get worse." He gently squeezed Kaoru's fingers. "I made a promise to look after you."

"Well, maybe some water would be nice."

Hikaru lept up to get it, came back and gently cradled his brother's head in his arms to help him slowly drink it. Kaoru pressed his cheek against his twin's chest when he was done and snuggled against him. He loved having his brother so close to him, had longed to curl up with him these past couple of nights, but he was not about to risk his twin's health for his own selfish desires. As it was, he hated to have Hikaru worry so much about him.

"You're doing a good job," he murmured.

"Kaoru?" Hikaru glanced down at him.

The younger twin looked up into the identical hazel-green eyes. "Mom would be so proud of you." Oh if only he could make those eyes light up again like they just did.

"I wish I could do more for you." His fingers stroked through Kaoru's hair again.

"You do enough for me. I love you, Hikaru."

Hikaru leaned down and kissed his brother's forehead. "I love you, too, Kaoru."

They remained together like that for a while, till Kaoru finally drifted back to sleep in his brother's arms. Once hikaru heard the sound of his gentle deeper breathing, he knew it was safe for him to move without waking him. Carefully he laid Kaoru back down and tucked him in, placing another soft kiss on his brow, before heading back to his own room to wash and change.

He had another long day ahead of him.

His phone was dancing on his bed again when he stepped out of the bathroom, damp and with only a towel tied loosely around his waist. There was no number registered on the display, so he wondered who it could be as he answered it.

"Hello?" Then his eyes widened. "Mom!"

"Darling, how are you? How's Kaoru?" Lady Hitachin asked.

"I'm fine," Hikaru replied. "I think Kaoru's getting better, too. What about you? Is everything ok over there? Its quite late for you isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm fine, so is your father, and yes it is rather late. We just got back from one of the after-show parties a little while ago," she replied with a chuckle. "Is Kaoru awake?"

Hikaru braced the phone against his shoulder. "He's sleeping right now." Shedding the towel, he slipped into a pair of boxers. "I guess I could wake him if you want to talk to him." He pulled on a pair of dark brown, knee-length shorts.

"No, no, let him rest." She sighed. "Hikaru, is it hard for you? Taking care of Kaoru all by yourself?"

"No Mom, of course not!" Hikaru replied, a little indignant that she would think Kaoru a burden to him. "I can do this, you said you trusted me."

"Its not that I don't trust you, darling. I know you're doing a wonderful job. You must be, if Kaoru's getting better. Its just that…"

"What?" Hikaru asked when there was a slightly longer pause. "Mom?"

"I might have to extend my stay here till next Saturday. There are a couple of people here who are interested in franchising the label to other parts of Europe and unfortunately they are only free to meet after Monday."

"Then you should stay and see the deal through," he said. "Kaoru and I will be alright."

"I would hate to disappoint Kaoru though, and I guess I'm worried that I'm stressing the two of you too much."

The older twin sat on the bed, still shirtless. "You shouldn't worry. Kaoru's strong, and so am I, you said so yourself. We'll take care of each other till you get back."

"So I did. I just don't want you two to think that I'm putting my job before you."

"We've never thought that at any time, Mom. We know you love us, but your job is important too."

His mother gave a gentle laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you two are growing up."

Hikaru smiled. "Maybe we are."

"Well don't grow up too fast. I'd still like to keep my little boys around a while longer."

"We'll always be your little boys, Mom," the boy replied fondly. "I don't think anything will change that. You should get some rest now, we'll be fine over here."

"Alright then," Lady Hitachin relented. "Tell Kaoru I love him and I'm sorry I couldn't be back when I said I would. Give him a kiss for me too, will you, and take care of yourself, too."

"I will, Mom."

"I love you, Hikaru"

"I love you, too."

Mother and son bid each other goodbye. Hikaru tossed the phone back on the bed and pulled on a beige shirt. Then he stood up, about to go downstairs and grab a bite to eat when there was a soft knock on the door, followed by the butler's voice.

"There are some guests to see you, Master Hitachin," he called.

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**A/N: **I'm glad Ch 8 went over well with you readers ) ... while i know the Twins are the main focus of the story, i do enjoy writing about the reactions of the supporting cast as well... it makes for interesting writing and hence reading, wouldnt you say so? Hani in particular is a joy to write, and i really enjoyed writing for Fuyumi as well, and i'm sure you've all seen her in episode 24 by now..

In this one, we focus on the Twins... and Lady Hitachin makes an appearance again - sort of... i REALLY like writing for her, she's so cool. this also has the after-effects of the Hikaru-Kyoya arc, and i figured Hikaru's at least humble enough to know when he overreacted...

Till next time, enjoy!


	10. Visitors

The small group that stood in the middle of the hall looked up in unison when they heard a door slam and firm, quick footsteps above them. The next moment, a rather angry-looking Hikaru appeared on the landing above them.

"What the he- ," he began to curse as he descended the stairs, then stopped abruptly when he saw the young woman in their midst. "What are you all doing here?"

"We all came to see Kao-chan," Hani replied, stepping forward, a large boquet of flowers in one hand, and a pink box in the other. "Would he like to have some cake?"

"NO!" the other four boys chorused together.

"I think Kaoru would like it if you ate it for him," Mori said to his smaller cousin.

"Oh, okay. Can I give him the flowers then?"

"Kaoru's asleep," Hikaru said, looking pointedly at Tamaki and Kyoya.

Hani's face fell and Mori instinctively placed a hand on his shoulder. Hikaru sighed, resisting the urge to tear at his hair in frustration. He had not planned on entertaining any visitors, but he couldn't exactly kick them all out, especially since they had the young woman with them, whom he figured was Kyoya's older sister.

"We brought some watermelon for him, too!" Tamaki remarked, holding up a bag. "We bought it at a commoner's fruit and vegetable fair! Can you believe it? I didn't even know they held those things on weekends!"

A glance at Kyoya confirmed this to be true as Hikaru took in the other boy's bemused expression. Well, at least one of them didn't want to be here, so then why was Tamaki still here and not bound and gagged in the back seat of his limo?

"Oh yes!" the young woman – Fuyumi, her name was, if Hikaru remembered correctly – said, nodding in enthusiastic agreement. "It was amazing. The vibrancy of it all! The colors! The smells! And everything at such cheap prices too! We really must take you all there some day."

Ah, that was why. Kyoya raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged, all but saying that this was Hikaru's problem, not his, and he'd better do something about it. With a look that promised certain death to Tamaki later, Hikaru forced a smile.

"Would you like to stay for lunch? Kaoru might be awake by then," he half-growled at the group.

A glance at one of the kitchen staff said it was alright, so the older twin ushered the group into the living room, after passing the cake and watermelon to one of the maids. Hani kept a firm, almost protective, hold on his boquet of flowers though. As soon as they were seated, Tamaki jumped up and began to pace – one arm folded and the finger of his other hand tapping against his chin.

"Well, since we're all here, we might as well have an impromptu Host Club meeting," he declared.

Hikaru let out a silent sigh of relief. Without the steadying presence of his brother around, he hadn't had the slightest idea of where to start entertaining guests, so maybe he wouldn't kill the king just yet.

"What do you want to discuss, Highness?" he asked instead.

Tamaki spun to face him, blue eyes bright. "Mon petit ami!" he began. "We should not let a brilliant idea go to waste!"

"I'm not your little friend," Hikaru growled. "What idea are you talking about? And keep your voice down for goodness sake."

"Why, my idea of all-for-one and one-for-all of course," Tamaki replied.

"Oh, so that was YOUR idea." If the older twin could shoot daggers from his eyes, his club president would have been pinned to the carpet by now.

"Well, if you were as good at Literature as your brother is, you'd know that it wasn't MY idea per se. The phrase comes from Alexander Dumas' greatest French story of all time – the Three Musketeers. I just happen to be very familiar with that beautiful piece of writing."

Seeing that Hikaru was on the verge of leaping up and throttling the flamboyant blond second-year, Kyoya smoothly cut in.

"So what are you proposing, Tamaki?" he asked.

"The Host Club shall bring the masterpiece to life! We shall have a Musketeers themed day some time next week. I will be D'Artagnan of course, and for the rest of you, I believe Hani can be Porthos and Mori would therefore be Athos. You, Kyoya, would be ideally suited for Aramis," Tamaki rambled on, eyes glinting. "You, Hikaru, shall play the villainous King Louis XIV of France, and Kaoru, your long-suffering twin brother Philippe. Haruhi shall be my beautiful princess."

"And how much is all this going to cost exactly, taking into account the need for costumes, weapons and set-dressing?" Kyoya's voice broke into Tamaki's ramblings.

"Cost? What does cost matter compared to the joy and rapture it would bring to our customers! Need I remind you Kyoya that the happiness and satisfaction of the ladies is the main goal of our club."

Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"I agree Kyoya," the sweet voice of Fuyumi cut in, and Hikaru looked up to see which way this would swing. "Women love the tragic stories of undying friendship, loyalty and brotherhood between men as they go forth and fight for their nation on the fields of battle. Tamaki has a beautiful idea here, you should help him achieve it. Think of what it would mean to the ladies."

The older twin shook his head. No matter how terrifying Kyoya was, the poor bastard was no match against the combined onslaught of his sister and best friend. He probably wouldn't have to dirty his hands after all. The icy-cool expression on the Shadow King's face meant that Tamaki would pay very dearly for all of this before the day was over.

Hikaru didn't envy the poor sap one bit.

While all this was taking place, Hani carefully slipped off his chair and made his way quietly out of the room, unseen by all except Mori, who dutifully looked the other way. Scurrying back into the main hall, he stopped a passing maid and asked for a small vase with a little water in it. Unable to say 'no' to those big, brown eyes, she obliged him, returning in about five minutes with a slender pale-blue vase, half-full of water.

"Master Kaoru likes the color," she said.

Hani gave her a wide smile, before slipping the flowers in and turning to run up the stairs.

"Turn right at the top, it's the fourth door on the right, after that," she called softly after him.

The little senior flashed her a thumbs-up, then bounded up the steps, following her directions till he came upon the door he wanted. He twisted the knob and quietly pushed the door open, peeking around to see if all was well for him to enter.

The coast clear apart from the sleeping boy, Hani softly entered and shut the door behind him. He trotted almost silently up to the bed and carefully placed the vase of flowers on the little table next to it where he was sure Kaoru would see them when he woke up.

That done, he went over to the window and leaned against the sill, letting the breeze ruffle his pale-brown hair while breathing in the faint floral scents that wafted up from the garden below. It was quite relaxing.

He heard a slight movement behind him and turned to see Kaoru stirring, turning onto his back and bringing a hand up to rub his eyes. Hani left the window and clambered up on to a chair beside the bed, just as Kaoru opened his eyes. He reminded Hani of a little kitten opening its eyes for the first time. The boy looked at the little third-year and blinked a few times before registering who it was.

"Senior Hani, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Paying you a visit, Kao-chan," Hani replied with a smile. "I brought flowers too."

Kaoru propped up his pillow against the headboard, then pushed himself into a sitting position. "Thank you, they're pretty. Where did you get them?"

"From my garden. I picked them myself this morning."

"Are you here alone?" Kaoru asked, wondering where Hikaru was.

"Oh, no. Takashi and the others are here too. Tama-chan decided to have a meeting till you woke up, so Hika-chan is down there as well. I wanted to bring you the flowers, that's why I came up alone." Hani beamed as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the side of the bed. "How do you feel today, Kao-chan?"

"Much better actually," he replied. "I think I might be able to come to school on Monday." Then he frowned slightly. "What happened to your wrist, Senior Hani?"

Kaoru gently placed a finger on the dark bruise that peeked out from under the edge of the white long-sleeved shirt Hani wore, marring the otherwise flawless fair skin. The bubbly senior's smile faded just a bit and did not go unnoticed by the younger boy.

"Just blocked a little too hard during training this morning," Hani replied, tugging the sleeve down over the bruise again. "Its nothing Kao-chan."

"Did you fight with your brother again?"

The older boy sighed. "I tried to tell him that the flowers were for you, but I guess he just jumped to conclusions."

Kaoru squeezed his hand lightly. "You can't always allow him to hurt you, Senior Hani. You're his brother, he shouldn't talk to you like that."

Hani's smile went away completely. "I don't know what else I can possibly tell him that wont make him hate me even more." He looked down at the sheets.

The younger boy gently rubbed the older's arm. "Why don't you cancel your plans for tomorrow and spend the day with him instead, in a non-combative way. Just get to know each other again, and do the things brothers do – watch movies, play video games."

"I don't know if he'll want to have anything to do with me for one whole day."

"Make him. Beat him in combat again to make him agree if you have to, just try and spend some time with him."

Hani slid off the chair and climbed up on the bed, leaning over to give the younger boy a gentle hug. Kaoru put an arm around him, then blinked when he felt a little splash on his bare shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Kao-chan," Hani said, hastily brushing away another tear before it escaped his eye.

"Its alright," Kaoru replied. "Just tell Chika you love him, even if he hates you. He can't possibly say anything to that."

Hani sat up and regarded the younger boy. "You look fragile Kao-chan, but you're really very strong inside."

"I could say the same of you, Senior Hani," he said.

At that point, the door opened and Hikaru came in, frowning slightly when he saw Hani sitting beside his twin, but then calmed at a look from Kaoru. He was followed by the three other boys, Fuyumi having opted to remain downstairs to watch the maids set the table.

"Lunch is ready Mitsukuni," Mori said, before turning a small brief smile to Kaoru.

"How do you feel?" Kyoya asked, strolling up to the bed as Hani jumped off to join Mori.

"Better, thanks," Kaoru replied.

Kyoya was then brushed aside as Tamaki came running up, stooped and cupped his face in his hands, bringing their heads close.

"Are you sure you feel better?" he asked, blue eyes etched with concern. "You still look so frail, and why are you still hot? Oh, my poor Kaoru, have you been taking your medicine on time?"

Kaoru winced as Tamaki's voice boomed in his ears. "Highness, please lower your voice," he replied. "And I probably feel hot to you because you have just washed your hands."

Hikaru yanked the overly-enthusiastic boy off his twin before the blond could formulate a reply.

"All of you, get out of this room and let my brother rest!" he snarled, challenging any one of them to defy him.

Knowing better than to cross an enraged twin, Kyoya and Mori each laid hold of one of Tamaki's arms and all but dragged him to the door. Hani followed with a wave to Kaoru.

"Bye-bye Kao-chan, get well soon!" He pulled the door shut just as Tamaki began to protest his dismissal.

"You should go and have something to eat, too," Kaoru told his twin.

"After I take care of you. What would you like?" Hikaru asked.

"Well, how about the rest of that chicken soup?"

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**A/N: **Terribly sorry for the long wait... i was side-tracked by a couple of long school assignments and a few non-Ouran fics that were demanding my attention... Nonetheless, here's chapter 10 for your reading pleasure...

It was surprisingly easy to find characters in the Three Musketeers to suit the boys' styles and personalities in fact..


	11. Sundays

Hikaru yawned and stretched before opening his eyes on Sunday morning. Just like the previous night, he'd woken up a few times in the pre-dawn hours to check on his twin, before falling back to sleep again, but this morning, thankfully, his phone made no sound. That silence prompted him to look at the clock.

The display read 11 and Hikaru let out a mild curse. Hes'd slept longer than he'd planned to. He brought his hand up and brushed some hair out of his eyes with a groan. As long as there were no more impromptu visits from any of the Host Club today, he reckoned he'd be able to keep his sanity intact.

Pushing the covers off, he dragged himself to the bathroom to brush his teeth, before going downstairs to see about a light snack. Descending the steps clad only in a pair of shorts, Hikaru stepped into the kitchen, went straight up to the fridge and began to rummage through its contents.

"Are you sure you want to walk around the mansion in nothing but that?" a smooth voice purred. "What if someone pays an unexpected visit? I don't think I'm strong enough yet to keep their hands off you."

Hikaru jumped and spun around, a small bottle of milk clutched in one hand, to see his mirror image sitting at a small table with half a piece of jam-covered toast in his hand.

"K-Kaoru! What are you doing up?" he asked in alarm. "You should be in bed, resting."

"I felt better, and I felt hungry, so I thought I'd see if there was any solid food I could eat. I asked Haruhi and she recommended this." He waved the piece of toast. "Its good, would you like some?"

Hikaru pulled out a chair opposite his brother and sat down, the bottle of milk still in his hand. Then he leaned forward and peered at his twin's face, searching it for any signs of something amiss. Kaoru let out a dramatic sigh, knowing what his twin was doing. He reached across the table, took his hand and gently placed it against his cheek.

"What do I have to do to prove that I feel better?" he purred into his palm. "Take a shower with you?"

A sly grin spread across the older twin's face. "That's not a bad idea."

Some milk and toast later, the twins stood together under the warm spray of the shower in the bathroom of their actual room, stripped of every piece of clothing they'd had on.

It was only natural for them, considering that they'd taken baths together since they were babies. It was only natural for Kaoru to wrap his arms around Hikaru and lean against him, since he was still considerably weak, not having eaten much over the past couple of days.

It was only natural for Hikaru to return the gesture, pressing their slick, slender bodies close together, since he was rather protective of his younger twin, especially after he'd gotten sick. It was only natural for their hands to roam over each other's torso and limbs as the soaped each other, remembering through touch how the other felt, since they'd been relatively separated for a while.

So it was only natural when Hikaru raised Kaoru's head from the curve of his neck and shoulder and drew their faces together so that their lips brushed against each other's. The only difference was that Kaoru resisted.

"I'm not fully recovered yet," he murmured, trailing little kisses down his twin's neck in apology. "I could still infect you with whatever I'm having."

"I don't care," Hikaru replied, sighing softly.

"But I do. I don't want you to get sick because I was careless in a moment of passion." He nuzzled back into the curve of Hikaru's neck and shoulder. "Be patient, when I'm better you can kiss me all you want."

"I'll do more than kiss you," Hikaru replied, nuzzling back. "Guess I can't argue with that, but you'd better get well soon. I don't have your patience."

"And we'd best not stay under the water for too long, either," Kaoru said, reaching to turn off the shower.

"You think of everything, don't you?" Hikaru chuckled, pulling a towel off the rail and wrapping it around his brother's waist.

"One of us has to," the younger twin said, doing the same for his older sibling.

The rest of the afternoon was spent curled up together on the plush couch in the living room, watching one of their many dvd movies on the widescreen tv. Kaoru snuggled close to his brother, resting his head on his shoulder, and for his part, Hikaru wrapped an arm around him, running his fingers through the soft, damp, red-brown hair and occasionally bending to place a kiss on his twin's brow, making Kaoru smile and blush in that adorable way Hikaru loved as he played with the fabric of his t-shirt.

Kaoru wondered at that point about the Haninozuka brothers, and if Hani and Chika were also spending time together like this. He knew he could never live in that kind of relationship with Hikaru, and he wondered how Hani managed it sometimes. Was that why the little senior preferred to hang out with the Host Club boys instead, because they all liked him and were, in a way, his own little brothers, too?

Hikaru nosed through his hair. "What are you thinking of?"

"How do you know I'm thinking of anything?"

"You're quiet. You always go quiet when you're thinking."

Kaoru shifted. "Just about what the others are up to today."

"As long as they don't invade us again, they can do what they want, I don't care."

"But you should care. We're not alone in this world anymore. You might find yourself needing their help one day. They're our friends after all."

"All I need, and all I care about, is you," Hikaru replied, kissing the top of his head. "I love you."

Kaoru smiled and kissed the side of his neck in return. "I love you, too." Then he sat up. "I'm rather tired of being stuck indoors. Shall we go outside and take a walk in the garden?"

"Are you up to it?"

"I'm more than up to it. Anything's better than lying around inside the house. Please Hikaru?"

There was no way the older twin could possibly refuse the pleading look on his brother's face, so he relented, standing and gently pulling his younger twin up with him, and wrapping a protective arm around his shoulders before leading him out of the house.

Once outside, each twin walked by himself for a while before Hikaru fell into step with Kaoru and clasped their hands together. Kaoru smiled and squeezed his older twin's fingers lightly, causing Hikaru to smile back and swing their arms in a gentle motion as they walked.

"Hani said we have some beautiful flowers out here," Kaoru commented at random.

Hikaru looked around them. "Yeah, we do. Who planted them, do you think?"

Kaoru glanced at him, a little surprised. "Grandmother of course. She's the one who really started the Hitachin family business when her floral arrangements began to gain global recognition."

"And how do you know all this?"

"Hikaru, really," the younger twin admonished in his usual gentle manner. "Mom told us both the story."

"Guess I wasn't paying attention back then."

"Well pay attention now at least."

"Yes mother."

Kaoru swatted him gently on the arm. "Grandmother's floral business got so successful that people requested she start a school to teach other young people her trade. After Mom was old enough, she began designing a clothing range that was orignally inspired by all the floral arrangements she saw. Its since expanded of course."

"Or we wouldn't be going to Ouran," Hikaru said. "But do you want to take over the business from Mom?"

"I've actually had a few ideas," the younger twin admitted.

"Like what?"

"Like combining Mom's and Grandmother's area of skill. The wedding industry's pretty hot right now. What if the Hitachin label could not only design wedding gowns and accessories, but also the settings and boquets? Flowers are an important part of any perfect wedding after all."

Hikaru stared at his twin in amazement. "Y'know, I never thought of that. It's a pretty good idea."

"I'll need someone to help me manage the business side of things though. I'm not good with all those numbers."

"I guess this means we're business partners as well as brothers then. You leave the business side of things to me." The older twin regarded the younger. "You didn't think you were going to leave me out, did you?"

"The thought never crossed my mind." Kaoru grinned. "Let's tell Mom about our idea when she gets back."

"It should make her happy to hear that we want to continue. I think she's been wondering about us recently, and what we're going to do after we graduate."

"I hope her deal goes through soon and she can come back home." Kaoru sighed. "I miss her."

"I'm sure she's doing everything she can," Hikaru assured. "Now c'mon, lets go in and see what we can do about dinner, shall we?"

Kaoru nodded, and still holding hands, the brothers turned back to the mansion.


End file.
